ford 5.4

In the short time I had the V-10 I was so impressed. You can't go wrong with one if you can get it.

My last truck was a 5.4L F-150 SCab and it pulled my 5,000# trailer like a dream but.... in an F-250/350 and your trailer you really will not be happy with the 5.4L. Get a V-10 and you will not be sorry. Our new (to us), Class C has the 305HP/420 '# V-10 and we love it. The V-10 is a beast that loves to work. :C

Shop the V10's as that 4.6 with 3.55's is not even close to the 360 engine. Then again the 360 wasn't that hot either but it would kill the 4.6 in towing, well until the tranny goes south :E

I had an '01 CrewCab with the 5.4L, 3.73 gears. It did an okay job pulling our 18 foot trailer (approx 3800 dry). On the big hills though it starts to struggle.

My experience with the 5.4 wasn't great and I was only pulling a 23' 4,400 lbs. trailer.

If you weren't happy with the 4.6 in a F150 your not going to be happy with a 5.4 in a F250 especially the 2 valve version.

I've had them both, and would suggest the v10 as well. That is if you can afford the gas to keep it on the road. My 5.4 was disappointing in the 1/2 ton, so think a heavier truck would only make matters worse.

I want to warn you right now.. the V10 is NOT a hot rod motor... its a TQ monster and really comes into its own when you put a load on it. If you test drive a 99-04 ish super duty Crew with the 5.4 and then turn around and test drive an identical V10 model you may not be able to tell a whole lot of difference with the trucks empty.

05-10 Super Duty have a nice upgrade in power and transmission (4 vs 5 speed) You will be able to tell a difference between the 5.4 and the V10 empty in these trucks.

However, with all that said.... the 5.4 is a GREAT motor and does a great job up to about 7500-10, 000 lbs depending on the gearing.

IMHO.. I would not pass up a great deal on a 5.4 Super Duty Crew Cab, however a V10 is preferred for towing.

I have had both and in my experience both motors are great. However, my 5.4 experience is in an F150 with 3.55 gears.

If you get a 5.4 or a V10 go for the 4.10 or the 4.30 gears. The 3.73 gears are not a great match for these motors in the Super Duty.

I know this reply is getting long. I apologize for that.

I would also strongly consider the early Dodge Mega Cab 1500 (has 3/4 ton axles, wheels, and frame) and will come with a nice Hemi V8. And later the Mega Cab came in the 2500 and 3500 series. Both had the Hemi available. This is a great motor and a GREAT cab choice for families.

The GM 6.0 or 8.1 are great too. If you go newer you will have to get a 6.0 if you go gas. I don't know what year they stopped making the 8.1. Maybe 2005 ish? The only issue that I have with the GM Crew Cabs.. at least in the early 2000's is that they seem to have a bit less leg room in the back compared to the Super Duty and Mega Cab. I have this same complaint on the Ram with the short crew cab (club cab?)

Thanks and good luck!

Jeremiah

I had a 5.4, not what I expected,, bought a 2004 F150 HD (towing package), supposedly Fords truck of the year!!

Again, NOT what I expected!!
2004 thru 2007, 5.4 had issues with Cam Phasers, and spark plugs, othe F150 body style issues also,,(bed rusting)(rear end clunk and clatter)(weak transmission).
Also Super Duty had similar issues same motor..
I would steer clear of any motor Ford produced from 2004 thru 2007.
A good one will have allot of miles on it, those are not common but they are out there, Now lets not get into the Power Stroke,,,,,,

Research via the internet,, search Forums,, F 150.net, F150.com, Superduty.com,, ETC,, I got in trouble voicing my opinion on D--ge here,, But you have to research then go drive 'em..

Have a drink and sit down,, Google D--ge V10,,F--d 5.4 reliability and you will form your own opinion on what you are looking for.. Good luck, the top three manufactures are not cheap,, but you want reliability!! Economy is a grey area,, My thought is,, if you want economy,, buy a small car,, if you want a vehicle to work for you, do some math,, weight to HP ratio, weight to mass, ETC..

3/4+ ton trucks do not post fuel economy for reason!!

The V10 Fords have about 360 HP in the trucks, while the 5.4L V8 has the same size pistons and stroke length with only 300 HP.

The difference is only your going up the mountain pass is about 10 MPH slower in the smaller engine truck. You will still get there, the radiator is much larger than the F-150 so it can put out all 300 HP more time before getting warm.

For reference my 460" V8 7.5L only has 225 factory horsepower, so it likely is beat by both engines. And I have a 20,000 GCVW.

Fred.